My Judaism My Jews - Edgar Bernstein
My Judaism My Jews (Personally Inscribed & Signed Presentation Copy)
A Deeply Reflective Theological and Historiographical Synthesis of the South African Jewish Experience
A Deeply Reflective Theological and Historiographical Synthesis of the South African Jewish Experience
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: My Judaism My Jews
- Author: Edgar Bernstein
- Publisher: Exclusive Books, Johannesburg
- Publication Date: 1962
- ISBN-10: Not Issued (Pre-dates standard implementation)
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Printing. Personally inscribed and signed presentation copy by the author.
- Binding: Original publisher’s premium cloth-covered boards, housed in the original illustrated dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 208 pages.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Cloth Boards: The original cloth binding remains flat, structurally true, and completely rigid with straight corners. The spine is firm, undamaged, and retains a clean square shape without structural lean.
- Interior: The text block is robustly bound, clean, and tight. Internal pages are exceptionally crisp and clear, completely free from highlighting, ink annotations, or dog-ears.
- Provenance & Inscription Relevance: Features a beautiful, historic ink presentation inscription from the author on the frontispiece page: “To Ari Michael Goldberg on the occasion of his Barmitzvah - Edgar Bernstein - 04/8/73”. This inscription carries profound historical relevance: it was hand-written on 4 August 1973, just a few months prior to Bernstein's passing in 1974. Written in his twin capacity as a prominent journalist-historian and a lay leader and teacher of Judaism at Reform Temple Israel, this book was a deliberate, generational gift of heritage passed directly from the author to a young member of the South African Jewish community celebrating his Bar Mitzvah.
- Preservation: Beautifully protected and presented in an archival-grade, removable cellophane cover to shield the vintage cloth face.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good (VG)
- Condition: The original illustrated jacket is remarkably well-preserved for its age, showcasing bold graphics with only limited, standard signs of minor edge wear and a few tiny, cleanly closed tears. It is free from heavy sun-fading or amateur tape alterations.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1962 by Exclusive Books, My Judaism My Jews is an unusual, highly distinctive, and pioneering synthesis of modern Jewish thought and regional social history.
Published in 1962 by Exclusive Books, My Judaism My Jews is an unusual, highly distinctive, and pioneering synthesis of modern Jewish thought and regional social history.
The volume is masterfully split into two intersecting thematic halves. The first half offers a bold, far-ranging, and deeply progressive philosophical approach to navigating traditional Jewish identity, faith, and ritual practice within the complex framework of the twentieth century. The second half shifts focus to deliver an intimate, invaluable historiographical landscape of South African Jewry. Bernstein chronicles the community's migration patterns, spiritual evolution, and remarkable systemic contributions to the broader cultural, commercial, and literary fabric of South African life. Seamlessly bridging the gap between deep academic theology and warm communal storytelling, this rare author-inscribed copy stands as a vital cornerstone volume for any serious collector of modern Judaica, twentieth-century South African social history, or rare regional private press publications.
Author Profile: Edgar Bernstein
Edgar Bernstein (1912–1974) was an elite South African journalist, historian, and intellectual leader within the regional Jewish community. He served with great distinction as a writer and editor for the Zionist Record and the South African Jewish Times, while simultaneously acting as the South African correspondent for the international Jewish Telegraphic Agency for over thirty years. At the time of his passing, he was the Deputy Director General of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies. Deeply committed to spiritual education, Bernstein was also a revered lay leader and teacher of Jewish law and philosophy at the Reform Temple Israel in South Africa, a background that infuses this particular volume with a beautiful combination of journalistic clarity and deep pastoral warmth.
Edgar Bernstein (1912–1974) was an elite South African journalist, historian, and intellectual leader within the regional Jewish community. He served with great distinction as a writer and editor for the Zionist Record and the South African Jewish Times, while simultaneously acting as the South African correspondent for the international Jewish Telegraphic Agency for over thirty years. At the time of his passing, he was the Deputy Director General of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies. Deeply committed to spiritual education, Bernstein was also a revered lay leader and teacher of Jewish law and philosophy at the Reform Temple Israel in South Africa, a background that infuses this particular volume with a beautiful combination of journalistic clarity and deep pastoral warmth.
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